Loom



March 11, 1941. c. M. BISHOP 2,234,619

Loom

Filed May 22, 1940 2 Sheets-$heet l M T lC/f GFF/M0701? T0 ELECTWIC SUPPLY Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES anatra PATENT OFF-ICE'.

LOOM

Clarence M. Bishop, Charlottesville, Va.

Application May 22, 1940, Serial No. 336,623

l Claim.

This invention relates to looms, and more particularly to a control mechanism for preventing what is known in the art as shuttle smashes caused by improper positioning of the shuttle or the failure of the shuttle boxes arranged at opposite ends of theshuttle race to move in unison in opposite directions and the primary object of this invention isthe provision of a device of the above stated character which may be easily and quickly installedon the loom and which will automatically stop the loom should the shuttle boxes fail to operate properly by throwing the loom control lever in position of stopping the loom and which will not interfere with the normal opr eration of the loom nor the stopping and starting of the loom in the usual way.

With these and other objects in view, as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view illustrating a fragmentary portion of a loom with a part of the present invention adapted thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view illustrating a portion of the loom frame and the loom control lever with a portion of the present invention shown thereon.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the switch mechanism of' the present invention and showing the same in circuit-closing position, that is, one of the contacts has been rotated sufficiently to engage the other contact. Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the switch mechanism in circuit breaking position with only one contact shown.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 4.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating one of the terminal posts of the switch mechanism.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional View taken on the line B--8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating a tensioning means for the switch mechanism.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates diagrammatically a portion of a loom wherein the shuttle race is indicated generally by the character 6 and the shuttle boxes by the character 1 and located at opposite ends of" the shuttle race. itv is well known'in thisfart that the shuttle boxes 'l sometimes fail to move in unison for the purpose of aligning their various cells with the shuttle race and when this occurs shuttle smashes are brought about. Further, it is to be understood that the present invention is employed on a loom, wherein the shuttle boxesl move in upward and downward directions and in unison in the same directions with each other', when the loom is operating correctly. However, from well known causes, the boxes may fail to move as specified and when one of the boxes moves relative to the other box will result in a shuttle smash.

To obviate a shuttle smash the present invention is adapted to the loom and consists of a supporting bracket 8 suitably mounted on the floor or base adjacent the loom and carries a switch mechanism 9 for controlling an electric circuit of a kick-off mechanism Il) mounted on the loom frame. The kick-olf mechanism li] includes an electric motor wherein the shaft thereof is indicated by the character Il and has secured thereto a cam l2 operating in conjunction with a roller I3 journaled on a slidable shaft or rod M. The shaft or rod M is slidably secured on the loom frame by a bracket l5 and has one end thereof pvoted to an arm It which is in turn pivoted on the loom frame adjacent the loom control lever Il.

The loom control lever is for the purpose of stopping and starting the loom and when in the position as shown in Figure 2, the loom is in operation. When the shuttle boxes fail to operate properly the switch mechanism 9 automatically closes the circuit to the electric motor and due to the rotation of the cam I2 the rod or shaft is caused to slide and bring about movement of the control lever Il into loom-stopping position by imparting pivotal movement to the arm I6. It is to be understood that the arm I6 is so pivoted on the loom that it is in a position to strike the control lever il and swing the latter into loom-stopping position.

The supporting bracket 8 carries a shaft Hi on which is journaled the switch mechanism 9 including a pair of opposed drums I9. Each drum includes a grooved hub 20 and also each drum has a groove 2| in its periphery. Yieldably mounted in the drums I9 are contacts 22 electrically connected to conductor strips 23 carried by the drums and which are engaged by carbon elements 2Q yieldably mounted in terminal posts 25. The terminal posts are mounted in the drums and extend through face plates 26 provided on the exterior of the drums. The terminal posts are connected in the electric circuit of the electric motor.

Cables 21 are secured to and wound on the hubs 20 and are connected to coil springs 28. The coil springs are secured to a supporting arm 29 mounted on the bracket 8. Also secured to and wound in the grooves 2l of the drums are cables 30 and as they leave the drums they extend in opposite directions and pass over pulleys 3| journaled on the loom frame and are connected to arms 32. The arms 32 are suitably secured to the shuttle box operating mechanisms 33 shown generally in Figure 1.

During normal operation of the loom, the drums I9 are so positioned with respect to each other that the contacts thereof are out of engagement with each other and consequently break the circuit to the electric motor of the kick-off mechanism.

As the shuttle boxes l, when the loom is operating normally, move in unison, the drums will maintain the stated relative position, that is, in a position of the contacts out of engagement with each other. However, when one of the shuttle boxes fails to move from some improper operation of the loom, the drum connected thereto remains idle and the other drum connected to the moving shuttle box will rotate and the contact thereof engages with the contact of the idle drum and thereby bring about closing of the electric circuit to the electric motor, setting the kick-off mechanism in operation to stop the loom. Therefore, it will be seen, that a very simple,

practical and economical control mechanism has been provided which can be easily and quickly installed on a loom to automatically stop the loom should the shuttle boxes fail to operate properly and thereby prevent a shuttle Smash.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a loom control mechanism of the class wherein the loom includes at each end of the shuttle race a shifting shuttle box structure having a plurality of shuttle cells and both structures being shiftable up and down at intervals to position individual shuttle cells in line with the shuttle race and the shuttle box structures being shiftable synchronously and n unison, and an electrically operated stop motion, the combina-y tion with said shuttle box structures and the stop motion of an electric switch mechanism including a pair of rotatably mounted drums and contacts secured thereto and normally separated during non-relative rotation of the drums and engageable With each other on relative rotation of said drums, means connecting one of said drums to one of the shuttle box structures, means for connecting the other drum to the other shuttle box structure, and an electric connection means between said contacts and the electrically operated stop motion.

CLARENCE M. BISHOP. 

